Press : The Modern HouseJournal

With holiday plans severely limited, we’ve asked writer, photographer and the founder of Hidden Scotland, Jack Cairney, to share the best modern holiday homes in Scotland to give us something to look forward to. These architect-designed spaces are the current source of our post-lockdown holiday daydreams, with thoughts of hiking up a Munro, soaking in a bath or maybe just staring out across the landscape next to a roaring fire all playing on heavy rotation.

Jack Cairney: The Scottish landscape is the perfect antidote to modern life, a chance to slow down, or stop altogether, to observe, breathe and relax. I’ve found that the most memorable holidays are often defined by the quality of where you stay, which in this landscape means a well-designed holiday cottage that brings you closer to nature while providing a sense of calm and relaxation. Here are six of the most inspiring and unusual properties for a stay in Scotland.

The Woodshed’s contemporary Scandinavian design features whitewashed timber cladding and locally-sourced stone walls: a secret hideaway that blends effortlessly into the dramatic backdrop of the Pentland Hills, just 10 miles from the heart of Edinburgh. Enormous windows flood The Woodshed with natural light and reveal the landscape in its ever-changing splendour. Whether you’re absorbing the panorama from the comfort of the cosy interior in winter or the invigorating warmth of the woodfired hot tub in summer, it’s difficult to imagine a more reclusive yet inspiring haven on the doorstep of one of the world’s great capital cities.